


Sweeter

by trippieseojoon



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 01:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16924218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trippieseojoon/pseuds/trippieseojoon
Summary: Raspberry soju isn't as sweet as being with Sooyoung, but that's okay.





	Sweeter

What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, most importantly, wouldn’t hurt  _ Haseul _ . If they got caught, all of the punishment would fall onto her. If they got caught, Jiwoo would feel terrible. She felt terrible enough already. She couldn’t stop thinking about the lie they concocted to sneak out the dorm with less than a few questions asked. Haseul thought they were at the convenience store. Well… probably not anymore. They’d been gone for almost an hour already.

 

Haseul wouldn’t tell on them, would she?

 

Worrying felt silly. Sooyoung looked as relaxed as the breeze outside. Her eyes flickered to the side, catching Jiwoo’s gaze. She just smiled.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“You’re nervous, right?”

 

“No.”

 

Sooyoung just chuckled and held her hand tighter. Their embrace was hidden by the jacket over their laps. It was late, but there were still quite a lot of people on the train. No one had recognized them yet. Even with her “disguise” on, Sooyoung was still questionably pretty. Surely they thought she was someone famous. Face bare, Jiwoo still had trouble rationalizing her beauty. It made looking at her more troublesome than it should’ve been. When was she going to get used to her?

 

A smile took her lips the second Sooyoung whipped her head towards her.

 

“We’re almost there. So, get excited.” she muttered as if sharing a secret. 

 

“I’m excited.”

 

“I bet you’ll be less nervous once we drink some.”

 

Laughter fueled by uncertainty left her throat, “Is that how it works?”

 

“Cute.”

 

In an effort to calm her pounding heart, Jiwoo rested her head on Sooyoung’s shoulder. She focused on the scenery across from their seat. They were right downtown. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d actually been able to enjoy it, the last time she’d even been able to have a night out. It almost felt like she was doing something wrong by being there. Which, she most certainly was, but not in that sense. It just felt wrong that she was attempting to enjoy the simple things. 

 

Spending time with her girlfriend was supposed to be simple.

 

It still felt weird to think.  _ Her girlfriend.  _

 

“You’re my girlfriend.”

 

Sooyoung made a noise of confusion. Her eyes darted around the train to make sure no one had heard Jiwoo’s words. Feeling her gaze, Jiwoo explained, “I’ve never said that out loud before.”

 

The grip holding her hand got painfully tight and she whined. She shot up and her glare was met with mischievous eyes. As if she could ever be genuinely annoyed with Sooyoung. Though, her brow did twitch in embarrassment as Sooyoung suddenly got closer. Jiwoo only smelled the perfume that tickled her nose for a second, as Sooyoung’s whisper took her breath away. 

 

“I wish I could kiss you right now.”

 

As if they’d been chatting about the weather, Sooyoung got comfortable in her seat again and just focused on the city they were speeding through. Rather than concerning herself with how many braincells she lost by holding her breath for so long, Jiwoo wondered just how red her cheeks were. The heat that had taken her neck and face hung around a lot longer than she wanted it to. It wasn’t fair, how easily Sooyoung could get her flustered. The thought of kissing Sooyoung really shouldn’t have wound her up the way it did. 

 

Compared to Sooyoung, she was beyond inexperienced. It wasn’t like she hadn't personally confided in Sooyoung about it before they’d even started dating. It was obvious regardless. The first time they kissed had been so awkward that Jiwoo wanted to bang her head against a brick wall just thinking about it. They didn’t kiss a lot. Partially because they were rarely  _ ever _ alone and partially because Jiwoo was too scared to ever initiate anything. With the way she acted sometimes, Sooyoung probably thought that she didn’t want to kiss her at all.

 

It wasn’t something she normally got excited about.

 

Even hugging was awkward sometimes. Sooyoung had very hesitant hands and Jiwoo was sure it was because of the way she reacted any time they got close. She always froze up. Not because she didn’t want Sooyoung’s touch, but because she couldn’t  _ handle _ Sooyoung’s touch. 

 

She appreciated Sooyoung’s observant personality. She really did, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t want Sooyoung to just go for it sometimes. It was romantic. Even though if she thought about it long enough, it would scare the desire out of her, she couldn’t count how many times she daydreamt about Sooyoung pulling her aside backstage and kissing her. They often went to the bathroom in pairs. Every time they did, whether it be at a recording or photoshoot, Jiwoo  _ always  _ imagined Sooyoung pulling her close and kissing her.

 

That could happen tonight. That and so much more could happen tonight and she refused to be intimidated by the possibility. Tonight was all about fun and being together. Whatever happened, happened. How she was supposed to prompt certain things to happen, however, she wasn’t quite sure yet. She wasn’t as smooth or as charming as Sooyoung. But maybe alcohol would change that. 

 

She knew when their stop came because Sooyoung squeezed her hand. They were both up before the train came to a full stop and were off within seconds. Sooyoung led the way and Jiwoo just followed in awe. She looked so attractive. Cap and a bomber jacket to match her black jeans, she looked too cool for Jiwoo. She always did.  _ Getting lucky _ felt like an understatement to Jiwoo.

 

Especially when Sooyoung smiled.

 

Turning around to beam at her, she explained, “It’s not far from here. It’s like right down the street, I think.”

 

“Good. I’m hungry.”

 

Sooyoung was right. The karaoke bar was on the corner. It seemed sketchy until they actually went inside. It was nicer that she expected and wondered how in the world Sooyoung found out about the place. The lobby was dark and the hallways leading to the rooms even more so, colorful lights flashing here and there. Jiwoo caught sight of the bar at the end of the hallway. Music was blasting from that direction, but she could still here the excited chatter of all kinds of people. 

 

The guy at the check-in counter greeted them with a smile, but Jiwoo couldn’t help but notice the look of skepticism they got from the woman with him. 

 

“I called earlier. Sooyoung. I was still hoping to get one for two hours.”

 

Sooyoung was far from shy, but Jiwoo always got surprised by her confidence. 

 

“Gotcha. There’s still some available. Just need to see your IDs.”

 

Jiwoo rushed to get hers out and they both ended up flashing them at the man at the same time. He studied them quickly and gave them a quick nod. He urged Sooyoung to put her hand out and when she did he drew an ‘X’ on the top of it. Jiwoo was surprised when he urged her to do the same. 

 

“There’s no way she’s twenty.” the woman behind the counter finally spoke up.

 

His reaction was overdramatic, “Yah, yeah she is. You can take a look at her I.D if you want to. Just let me do my job.”

 

Sooyoung’s attempt to hold back her amusement was in vain and that was when Jiwoo connected the dots. They must’ve known each other. He winked at her after marking her hand and Jiwoo tried her best to not look towards Sooyoung in demand of answers. She’d ask later. The guy hurried from around the desk, grabbed two menus, and led them down the hall. She bit her lip to hide her smile as Sooyoung waved at the woman before backing off to head down the hallway. 

 

They were both laughing before they even got into the room.

 

“Thanks, oppa.” Sooyoung bowed as he started setting up the room for them.

 

“No problem, kid. You guys have fun.” 

 

He was in and out in a flash. Jiwoo just gazed at Sooyoung in a mix of confusion and awe, not mad at all about the prideful smirk painted on her lips as she took her cap and jacket off. She grabbed the TV controller and sat down on the couch before explaining, “I’m good friends with that oppa. We went to school together.”

 

“That was… impressive.”

 

“Why, thank you. What do you wanna drink?”

 

“You mean eat?” Jiwoo joked as she sat down on the couch as well and reached for one of the menus, “I don’t know. What do you like?”

 

“Something sweet. Like flavored Soju.”

 

Jiwoo had only had alcohol twice in her life. Once, it had been warm beer her friends had snuck into the school dance back in 11th year. The second time had been at their debut celebration. She’d had a couple sips of soju and had left it to the older unnies. It was too bitter for her. Too strong. Maybe the flavored kind would be better.

 

“There’s a raspberry kind, peach, pomegranate…” 

 

If it wasn’t for the leather of the couch making noise, Jiwoo wouldn’t have noticed Sooyoung getting closer. She shied away from the fingers that brushed up against her chin at first, but did her best to stay still as Sooyoung grasped it. Maybe it was the colors coming from the television, but something was making Sooyoung’s eyes brighter than they normally were. 

 

“Which do you think will taste better?”

 

“Um…”

 

Surely, Sooyoung wasn’t expecting her to actually be able to think like this.

 

“Raspberry?”

 

“S-- Sure.”

 

Jiwoo wasn’t sure who’s eyes dropped first. She also wasn’t sure what made her skin warm: noticing Sooyoung gazing at her lips or the sight of Sooyoung’s lip gloss-stained ones parting some before coming together to create a smirk. Anticipation refused to let air enter her lungs, but disappointment didn’t let it come in either. Not until a sigh mixed with relief left them as Sooyoung pulled away.

 

“Let’s get that, then.”

 

“Didn’t you say you really wanted to kiss me earlier?” Jiwoo asked with feigned skepticism, hopeful that joking around would calm her nerves some.

 

The way it came out took them both by surprise, however. Sooyoung’s brows were abnormally high and Jiwoo felt small under her gaze. She just ignored it, sitting back and focusing on the menu she couldn’t read even if she wanted to. Her heart was suddenly pounding in her ears. The couch made noise again, much louder than her nerves.

 

“Close your eyes.” 

 

The whisper brushed right against her ear. She shut her eyes maybe too tightly and was expecting Sooyoung’s callus fingertips on her chin again. She was surprised to feel smooth lips against her cheek instead. They pressed against her skin so lightly that goosebumps appeared. Sooyoung’s lips lingered. They may as well have not pulled away. 

 

It wasn’t until her hand covered Jiwoo’s that she realized she had her hands balled into fists. She was way too tense already, but there was nothing she could do to fix it. How could she relax with Sooyoung so close? Eventually this would become natural, she was sure. It was reassuring, but it didn’t make her feel any less insecure. She took a deep breath through her nose in an effort to push aside those thoughts. She didn’t need those right now. 

 

If she didn’t know any better, she’d think she needed Sooyoung’s lips on hers, however. They were tingling so badly that she felt like they were going to jump off of her face and make a run for it if Sooyoung didn’t kiss her soon.

 

“You can relax…” she muttered near her jaw.

 

“I’m trying…”

 

Sooyoung giggled softly before kissing her skin again. Hesitant but determined, Jiwoo started to turn towards her. She refused to open her eyes, fearful that her drive would vanish the second she met Sooyoung’s gaze. Despite being so close, she felt a bit better when their foreheads met. She felt okay. She could do this. 

 

Her nose ran against Sooyoung’s as she leaned in more and the chill that ran through her frame made her second guess everything in one single second. Maybe she  _ couldn’t  _ do this, but it was too late. Sooyoung’s lips were pressing against hers and, even though Jiwoo was scared to move, everything felt right. Maybe she couldn’t do this, but who cared? Sooyoung was kissing her.

 

She always focused on her bottom lip when they kissed. It only made Jiwoo more lost on how to do things. Was kissing a top lip the same as kissing a bottom lip? She didn’t know. She didn’t know what Sooyoung liked even. Honestly, it was hard to even think about what to do when Sooyoung was kissing her. But she knew she needed to respond. She wanted Sooyoung to know she liked it, that she wanted more of it.

 

Her hands moved on their own, holding Sooyoung’s waist loosely, as they kissed. Sooyoung did the opposite of what she wanted, however, and pulled away. 

 

“You’re shaking.”

 

Jiwoo whined as Sooyoung’s teeth revealed themselves, “I know, okay…?”

 

“I want you to get more comfortable with me.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Jiwoo couldn’t help but laugh in embarrassment. She let her head fall onto Sooyoung’s shoulder as she laughed unsure of how to explain herself. Getting comfortable with Sooyoung seemed like a pipe dream. How could she, a nobody, get comfortable with such a goddess?

 

“You kiss me this time. Just try it. I’ll stay still.”

 

Sooyoung’s hand grabbing her thigh reassuringly made her sit right up, right away. She was surprised to see her gaze absent of anything teasing. It was comforting, but not enough to rid her nerves. Sooyoung seemed so relaxed. She was sitting in that slouch she always sat in. Not red at all. Jiwoo really didn’t understand it.

 

“Okay. Close your eyes.”

 

“Closed.” she sung as she let her lids fall.

 

Her cuteness made Jiwoo’s lips twitch with the desire to smile, but she tried to keep a straight face. She was leaning in closer without even realizing it. She kept her eyes open even as their skin touched. Focused on Sooyoung’s bottom lip, she froze as she realized that maybe she should use this opportunity to figure out how to kiss her top lip properly. But Sooyoung’s bottom lip was  _ really  _ attractive. She wanted to taste it more than anything and that alone was reason enough to keep moving forward. 

 

A quiet noise of satisfaction came from her as Jiwoo kissed her. She was sure other people did it, as it didn’t feel weird at all to run her tongue along Sooyoung’s lip. She took her time, leaving kiss after kiss on Sooyoung’s parted lips. As promised, Sooyoung stayed still. At first anyway.

 

When she started kissing her back, Jiwoo’s first instinct was to pull away. But Sooyoung knew what she was doing. The feeling that overwhelmed Jiwoo as they kissed made her melt into the couch. Sooyoung’s mouth was so soft. It was almost surreal. The way it felt when she dragged the tip of her tongue along Jiwoo’s top lip, even more so.

 

Suddenly curious of how her  _ tongue _ felt, Jiwoo was determined to meet it if she did it again. But much to her dismay, Sooyoung was the first to pull away again.

 

“See? Easy.”

 

Jiwoo didn’t have much of a voice when she echoed, “Easy.”

 

“Raspberry?”

 

“What?”

 

“The soju.”

 

Jiwoo came back down to Earth and nodded, reaching towards the wrong spot to grab the menu again, “Yes. Raspberry.”

 

“We should get food too…”

 

“Yes. Food… Hey!” she whined as Sooyoung finally burst out into laughter, “You’re so mean.”

 

“You’re just so cute. Sorry.”

 

Sooyoung’s hand being on her thigh burned so much that Jiwoo had stopped feeling it after awhile. But Sooyoung rubbed it as she teased and the flames came back even stronger. Her jeans were keeping their skin separated. If it felt so good over clothes, Jiwoo couldn’t even imagine how her touch would feel  _ under _ them. She tried to shake the thought from her mind. Sooyoung slapped it away as her hand rose to fall back onto her thigh before grabbing the TV controller again.

 

“Whatever you eat, I’ll eat.”

 

“Should I get a lot?”

 

“Uh,  _ yes _ .”

 

Jiwoo just smiled at Sooyoung’s tone, but it faded as she watched Sooyoung’s bottom lip disappear between her teeth. Was she licking off her spit? Most likely. It was gross to think about, but Jiwoo’s body’s reaction to it was questionable. That shouldn’t have been attractive in the slightest. 

 

“Hurry and click the button so we can start.”

 

Finding the button on the wall, Jiwoo hurried up to hit it. Within seconds, the door opened and the same guy from before came in. He focused on Sooyoung.

 

“What we getting?”

 

“A bottle of the peach soju and…” she looked to Jiwoo, who mouthed ‘chicken wings’ to her, “chicken wings… and fries. And those jalapeño poppers.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

“Thanks, oppa!”

 

He smiled before leaving. The way he looked at Sooyoung made Jiwoo uncomfortable. She got it. Sooyoung was pretty. How could someone not have a crush on her? However, she didn’t like how obvious this guy was. Sooyoung was only being nice to him so he would give them alcohol. Jiwoo knew that, but she still didn’t like it.

 

“I think he had a crush on me back in school.” Sooyoung confessed, as if she could read Jiwoo’s mind.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“He was always weird, though.” 

 

“Shame. Weird  _ and _ ugly.”

 

She was only half-joking, but she was glad it made Sooyoung crack up. As she plopped back down on the couch, a familiar song started blasting through the speakers. Sooyoung popped up and Jiwoo got comfortable, already grinning in anticipation of the performance she was about to see. Sooyoung didn’t even have to look at the screen. She knew all the words to Heroine by heart. Blocking her view of the TV, she danced and strutted as if she had an audience. 

 

Jiwoo cheered every time her gaze turned seductive. Sooyoung was so confident it was unbelievable. But Jiwoo didn’t want her to be any other way. She  _ knew  _ how lethal she was too. Her body rolls caught Jiwoo completely off guard, even though she knew they were coming. The look on her face must’ve been something because it made Sooyoung light up in amusement, her laughter messing up her singing. Just as the last chorus was coming up, their food arrived. Sooyoung kept singing and just waved at the guy as he put their food down. Jiwoo greeted him too, even though he didn’t even glance her way once. 

 

Glad when he left, Jiwoo was excited to continue watching the show but Sooyoung left the microphone behind to open up the soju they got. The song was almost over anyway. Jiwoo watched with cautious eyes as their shot glasses got filled to the brim. 

 

“Ready?”

 

“Am I?” she asked, grabbing her glass.

 

“3, 2, 1…”

 

How she gulped down the entire thing, she had no idea. Face scrunched up in distaste as the liquid burned its way down her throat, she watched Sooyoung have more or less the same reaction. 

 

“Not as good as I thought it would taste.”

 

Jiwoo’s head was already spinning, “Nope. Wow.” 

 

“One more?”

 

“Shouldn’t we eat--?”

 

She watched in disbelief as Sooyoung poured herself another one and drank it just as quickly as the first. Jiwoo felt like her eyes were going to roll out of her skull.

 

“Yes! Let’s eat.”

 

“If you get drunk, I’m  _ not  _ gonna try and help you lie about why you’re throwing up in the morning.”

 

“You’re my girlfriend. You’re supposed to have my back.”

 

Grinning instantly, Jiwoo met her taunting gaze with soft eyes, “True.”

 

It’d been awhile since they’d eaten such greasy food. Jiwoo was sure she was going to be bloated in the morning, but it wasn't like they had a schedule. Half the reason they did this tonight was because they had a day off tomorrow. Sooyoung was probably planning on getting drunk, honestly. Jiwoo still wasn’t sure if she was going to stop her or not. 

 

Drunk Sooyoung sounded just as dangerous as she sounded fun.

 

“You know… most of the others already know, I think.”

 

“Know what?”

 

“That we’re dating.”

 

“That sounds like a stretch.” one that still made Jiwoo’s stomach drop, “Why?”

 

“If I was them and saw the way you looked at me, I’d start guessing things.”

 

Jiwoo wasn’t sure if she was teasing or being serious. It was something she worried about a lot, the other girls knowing. They’d just debuted, more or less. It was a hill they didn’t need to climb just yet. She was mature enough to understand that. It wasn’t like she didn’t want them to know. They were family after all. Telling them so  _ soon _ could also be troublesome. She was also mature enough to understand that just because her and Sooyoung were dating now, didn’t mean they were going to be dating forever. 

 

Honestly, Jiwoo wasn’t sure how she felt about that even being a possibility. It was scary to think about. 

 

“I think at least Vivi knows.”

 

“If she does, I don’t think she’ll tell anyone. So, it’s fine.”

 

Sooyoung looked up at her and away from the chicken, “You don’t want them to know?”

 

“Not yet… Just not yet. Not because I don’t want them to. I just don’t want to cause trouble.”

 

“Causing trouble can be fun, though.”

 

“ _ Totally.” _ Jiwoo played along just to guide the mood to something lighter, “You’re speaking from experience?”

 

Sooyoung just winked.

 

“Wanna be troublemakers?”

 

Jiwoo cleaned her hands off and hurried to grab the TV controller. It took her only a few seconds to pull up the song, a few more seconds for Sooyoung to yell in excitement.

 

“I wanna be Hyuna-ssi!”

 

“What? I wanna!” Jiwoo laughed as they got their mics. 

 

They both ended up singing Hyuna’s parts together the first couple of times, but eventually Sooyoung gave in and did Hyunseung's parts. They didn’t know the dance at all, but tried doing it anyway. It was more funny than sexy, but Jiwoo still managed to get distracted by the way Sooyoung moved her body. Then, Sooyoung actually put her hands on her and Jiwoo blanked out on her lines for a moment.

 

Sooyoung grabbed her by her waist and urged her closer, letting her hand run itself onto the small of her back. They literally danced for a living, but Jiwoo lost all sense of rhythm. Unlike Sooyoung, who continued to sway her hips despite the lack of space between them. 

 

Knowing her effect, Sooyoung’s curved lips seemed permanent. 

 

They ended the song with their own choreography and plenty of laughter. While Jiwoo watched for their score, Sooyoung went back to the table to pour herself another shot. Not a full one this time. She brought over two half filled glasses and offered one to Jiwoo. She had a flirty look in her eyes, one that Jiwoo couldn’t hold without getting sheepish. She pointed towards the TV screen.

 

“Ninety-four.”

 

“How dare they?”

 

“I know, right?” she laughed, wary about taking the shot glass from Sooyoung’s fingertips.

 

“Jiwoo-ah.”

 

Forced to meet Sooyoung’s gaze, she couldn’t help but give in. She took hers before Sooyoung. The taste wasn’t as off-putting this time. Thank God. She felt dizzy again and not just because Sooyoung wrapped her arms around her waist.

 

“I didn’t wanna kiss you and you just taste chicken.” she confessed in embarrassment.  

 

All Jiwoo could do was smile. Her grip around her shot glass tightened as Sooyoung leaned in. She only hesitated for a second before kissing her. Jiwoo still let her lead, but she wasn’t as inclined to stay still this time. Their lips melded slowly. It was better, she realized, because Sooyoung had decided to focus on her top lip. Had she picked up on her concerns earlier?

 

Going with the flow was easy since Sooyoung had her melting where she stood within the minute. Sooyoung only pulled away for a second, just to tilt her head the other way and kiss her more deeply. Backed up against the wall near the TV, the annoying menu music was blasting in her ear but she didn’t care. The empty shot glass in her hand was getting sweaty and she wanted nothing more than to put it down so she could hold Sooyoung closer. 

 

She felt silly, but she didn’t want to break away from the kiss. The shot glass went behind her and in her back pocket without much trouble. Sooyoung hummed against her mouth as she grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. The soft sound of Sooyoung tossing her empty glass on the couch hit her ears and the feeling of her hands on the small of her back quickly followed. 

 

It felt like she was in a dream. 

 

Sooyoung’s tongue made an appearance again and Jiwoo rushed to meet it. It might have been too much because Sooyoung laughed.

 

“I-- Tell me what to do.” Jiwoo tried to save herself before Sooyoung teased her.

 

“Just do what feels good… but slower.”

 

“I just wanna taste you.”

 

It came out innocently, but it didn’t imply anything related to the word. Jiwoo was just being honest. She’d never made-out with anyone, had never even had the desire to until Sooyoung came along. She trusted Sooyoung enough to try it. But Sooyoung’s expression wasn’t easy to decipher. Her eyes were big. 

 

“Never say that again.”

 

About to whine in confusion, Sooyoung distracted her by forcing their lips to meet again. The kiss was quick and she stayed close as she muttered against her mouth, “Just keep your mouth open a little. I’ll let you.”

 

Jiwoo could probably count on one hand the times someone, in real life and real time, turned her on. Sooyoung was of course beautiful and sexy sometimes beyond belief, but usually it was Jiwoo’s imagination that would awaken  _ that _ side of her. Sooyoung’s words not only made the hairs on her skin stand, but it prompted a couple other reactions. Ones that Jiwoo hadn’t been expecting. Suddenly, Sooyoung’s hips felt far too close to hers.

 

Heat traveled everywhere the second Sooyoung’s lips were back on hers.

 

She let her jaw slack some and it wasn’t long she felt Sooyoung’s tongue move against hers. Sooyoung’s “slower” kept echoing in her mind, but she couldn’t help herself. It felt surprisingly natural, the way they started to kiss. Sooyoung tasted just as good as she’d hoped, just as good as she’d expected. Sooyoung also  _ felt  _ just as good as she’d hoped. But Jiwoo was either getting too caught up in her or doing something wrong because she was definitely drooling. The second she became aware of it, she pulled away.

 

Both of them short of breath, Jiwoo could only wonder if her eyes looked as jaded as Sooyoung’s. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she left a smile on her lips and one took Sooyoung’s almost simultaneously. Jiwoo wasn’t sure who laughed first.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Did that feel weird to you?” Sooyoung wondered.

 

“No.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Did-- Did that feel weird to you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Well, good.”

 

Sooyoung just smiled and held her closer. Embarrassed, Jiwoo opted out for hugging her. They started awkwardly walking towards the couch and Sooyoung overdramatically screamed when Jiwoo swung her down onto it. The red on Sooyoung’s cheeks wasn’t going away. The way she was laughing so hard made Jiwoo realize the soju was doing its job.

 

Drunk Sooyoung was cute.

 

“Come here.” she urged.

 

When Jiwoo got close, she grabbed the shot glass from her back pocket before pulling her down into her lap. Sooyoung hugged her tightly from behind as she spoke, “Choose another song. I just wanna hear you sing.”

 

It was a no-brainer for her to choose an IU song. As soon as the smooth instrumental for Palette came on, she grinned. She felt too heavy for Sooyoung’s lap and would've worried about it more if Sooyoung wasn't forcing her to stay close. 

 

Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest the entire time she sung. She couldn't even see Sooyoung’s face, but just knowing all of her attention was being given was making her just as excited as she was nervous. 

 

Sooyoung's hands patting her belly wasn't helping.

 

As the song finished, arms squeezed her. She playfully let her back fall to squish Sooyoung against the couch. In hindsight, it was a mistake because Sooyoung got rowdy in an instant. Jiwoo managed to escape her grip before being manhandled. Laughing louder than the menu music, they both had trouble pulling it together. 

 

“Come back!” Sooyoung whined. 

 

“No.”

 

“Jiwoo-ah…”

 

“No.”

 

She only got more whiny, “Babe…”

 

“Babe?”

 

Jiwoo’s ears surely turned red the second the call hit them. That was a first. Sooyoung growing smile in response to Jiwoo’s reaction just made her even more embarrassed. Arms open wide, hands urging her closer, Sooyoung called her again.

 

“Babe.”

“I don’t trust you.”

 

“I just wanna hold you. Promise.”

 

Everything in her mischievous eyes was saying otherwise, but Jiwoo was willing to play along. She stayed cautious as she made her way back over to Sooyoung. Plopping down in her lap, as soon as she did, hands grabbed at her waist. Fingers tickled and poked at her sides. Jiwoo was certainly too loud, even for a karaoke room. 

“So loud!” Sooyoung laughed as she tried to cover Jiwoo’s mouth.

 

The yelp that came from her as Jiwoo bit one of her fingers made her laugh so hard that tears came. Somehow, they ended up relaxing against one another. Jiwoo fell back to lay her head on Sooyoung’s shoulder and arms were wrapped around her waist firmly. 

 

“I'm tired.” 

 

“We haven't been here that long.”

 

“It's been like an hour. Long enough.” Sooyoung insisted as she squeezed her.

 

“Well, we can go if you want!” 

 

“Haseul is probably going to beat us.”

 

“Another day, another dollar.” 

 

Jiwoo got up and Sooyoung’s touch lingered. They’d made a mess of the table, all of their leftovers and napkins were decorating it. She started doing what she can to make it look decent. She couldn't help but giggle when she caught Sooyoung’s gaze. She was definitely sleepy, still red too. The alcohol must've been making her tired. 

 

“Ready?”

 

Sooyoung nodded, but she didn't move when Jiwoo opened the door. Her hands went out and urged for Jiwoo to come close. In awe of how cute she was being, Jiwoo went straight over. Sooyoung let herself be lifted up the couch like a ragdoll once she grabbed her hands. They were both laughing to themselves as they trudged out of the room. 

 

Thankfully, what’s-his-name wasn't at the desk when they got back out to the lobby. The woman still looked annoyed by their presence and didn't try to hide it at all. It was hard not to smile at Sooyoung’s arrogant smile. She wasn't intimidated by the woman at all. 

 

“We’re ready to pay.”

 

“34,000 won.”

 

“Do you like working with Taeyong? I think he's only nice to me because he likes me, but he's questionable, you know?”

 

She hit a sensitive spot, obviously. The woman rushed to get them checked out and refused to make eye contact with Sooyoung again. The giggle that came from Sooyoung once she got her card back must've been loud on purpose. In awe, Jiwoo was caught off guard when Sooyoung grabbed her hand before leading them out of the lobby. The amusement on her face tickled her. 

 

“You really are a troublemaker.” 

 

Sooyoung just wriggled her eyebrows in response. It had gotten a little chilly outside because of the breeze, but having Sooyoung’s hand in hers was enough to keep her comfortable. They got back to the subway almost  _ too _ fast. Walking through the city with her was like something out of a daydream. They needed to get out more. 

 

“If we're still alive after tonight, I think we should do this again. But I wanna plan a date this time.”

 

“Oh?”

 

They were scanning their cards to get in and as soon as Jiwoo went through the turnstile, Sooyoung grabbed her hand again and pulled her close. Definitely too close for public. As much as Jiwoo wanted to look around and make sure no one was staring at them, she couldn't. Surely there were other people coming into the subway. She could hear the turnstiles beep. She could hear conversations of all kinds in the distance.

 

Yet, all she could focus on was Sooyoung.

 

“You should definitely plan the next date… if Haseul doesn't kill us.” she beamed. 

 

“We’re in public…” 

 

Jiwoo kept her warning soft. Honestly, she didn't think Sooyoung would care either way. Besides, she didn't necessarily  _ want  _ Sooyoung to let go of her. Sooyoung’s eyes wandered around before she just pulled her into a hug. 

 

“Don't worry. There aren't that many people around.” 

 

The low mutter echoed in Jiwoo’s ears even after Sooyoung pulled away and started leading her to their platform. She was sure she hadn't meant to sound so attractive. It tended to happen accidentally all the time. That was just what happened when you were Ha Sooyoung. 

 

The just held hands as they stood at their platform. The distance between them didn't feel right. Jiwoo’s eyes kept flickering over to Sooyoung, trying to read her blank expression. 

 

“I really wish you could hold me.” Jiwoo voiced her thoughts quietly, even though their platform was scarce of people.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I really wish you could hold me…” 

 

“No one has recognized us this entire time.” she uttered as she decided to yank Jiwoo closer. The second she was, she stood behind her to hold her, “So, I’m gonna hold you.”

 

Beaming, Jiwoo couldn't even bring herself to respond. 

 

“I have a good disguise. No one’s gonna recognize me, but  _ you _ … Don't smile like you do and we'll be fine.”

 

She let her chin rest on Jiwoo’s shoulder as the waited. Being wary would've been the smarter thing to feel, but Jiwoo simply felt comfortable. She didn't want it any other way. How could she worry about things with Sooyoung so close? 

 

A hum rumbled in Sooyoung’s chest, “You're gonna have to carry me back to the dorm. I'm gonna fall asleep on the train.” 

 

“I guess you're gonna  _ stay  _ on the train then.” 

 

“At least I won't have to talk to Haseul. You can do that.”

 

“I hope it's her over our managers, though.” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Whatever it'll be, it'll be worth it.”

 

The arms around her waist tightened and Jiwoo wasn't sure what came over her. But she didn't hesitate to quickly kiss Sooyoung’s cheek. It made her laugh in disbelief instantly.  _ She'd  _ kissed  _ her _ , not even in the lips, but her skin was warming up as if it'd been the other way around. She only became more embarrassed as Sooyoung sung in her ear teasingly. 

 

“Troublemaker…” 

 

Elbowing Sooyoung in the stomach was definitely worth the loud yelp she received in return. 


End file.
